How Billy Ray Cyrus Repaired His Achy Breaky Heart With Firerose
Billy Ray Cyrus no longer has an achy breaky heart.
The country singer, who turned 62 on Aug. 25, previously admitted he was in a "bad" place after he split from ex-wife Tish Cyrus after almost 30 years of marriage. But Cyrus has found love again with Firerose.
While the father of six—son Christopher, 30, with Kristin Luckey, then he adopted Tish's kids Brandi, 34, and Trace, 33, and they had Miley, 30, Braison, 28, and Noah, 22, together—first connected with Firerose musically, his friendship with the 34-year-old Australian singer blossomed into a romance after his divorce was finalized in April 2022.
"When we began sharing the music," Cyrus told People, "it just evolved more into, as musical soulmates, to soulmates, happy, pure love that to me, I didn't know could exist."
The couple got engaged after several months of dating, though they didn't confirm the happy news until November of last year. "Happiness is everything," they wrote in a joint Instagram post.
So, take your horse down the old town road to look back on Cyrus and Firerose's relationship history, including their first meeting on the set of Hannah Montana. Sweet niblets!
Billy Ray Cyrus' first encounter with Firerose came when he was taking a break with his dog on the set of Hannah Montana, the hit Disney Channel series he starred on with his daughter Miley Cyrus from 2006 until 2011.
"On that given day, Firerose came out of the front door," the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer told People. "There was almost a moment of, I don't know, recognition. I was like, 'This girl's a star.'"
While Cyrus had no idea who Firerose, then 11, was at the time, his future fiancé definitely knew who he was. "Growing up in Australia, my love of music was predominant over everything," she said. "I've known his music since forever."
There for an audition, Cyrus offered to introduce Firerose to the Hannah Montana crew and invited her to watch the show's rehearsal.
"She met a lot of the cast and met the producers, writers," he said. "And, in some ways, well, in a lot of ways, we became friends."
While the duo stayed in touch—"Our friendship was so solid over the years," Firerose told People—their bond grew when they became songwriting partners during the pandemic.
"She plays all of her own instruments and writes her own songs," Cyrus explained. "We began sharing music, and it just evolved."
Cyrus and Firerose released their first song together "New Day," which they collaborated on amid Cyrus' private marital strife. Tish Cyrus filed for divorce for a second time in April 2022, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their split and noting they hadn't lived together since February 2020.
"Billy confided in me a lot of what was going on in his life," Firerose explained. "I was just the best friend I could possibly be, supporting him."
After finalizing his divorce with Tish and "a lot prayer," Cyrus was ready to move on and asked Firerose to be more than friends.
"When we began sharing the music, it just evolved more into, as musical soulmates, to soulmates, happy, pure love that to me, I didn't know could exist," Cyrus said. "Again, we're musicians, first and foremost, both of us. And we found this harmony, and this rhythm, this melody to life."
Soon after they began dating, Firerose moved to Cyrus' Franklin, Tenn., farm.
Cyrus officially confirmed his relationship with Firerose when he posted the first selfie of the couple on his Instagram page.
"Wishing everyone a brilliant time at the @vmas tonight!" he captioned the pic. "Music changes everything."
Firerose also shared the photo on her page, using it to pay tribute to her boyfriend. "The world is a better place with you in it," she wrote on Aug. 25. "Happy Birthday Billy."
The pair celebrated the fall season with a cozy snap in front of a tree with orange and red leaves, but all eyes were on the diamond ring on Firerose's finger, fueling speculation that the couple was engaged.
The couple released their second collaboration "Time," with Cyrus describing the tune as a "reckoning."
"I've spent my life worried about things that are beyond my control," he told People. "But at this spot in my life, [I know] that all you really have is the happiness that you feel inside your mind and your heart."
After months of speculation, Cyrus' rep confirmed to E! News that he was engaged to Firerose.
"Together imagine magic everyday," Cyrus captioned a Nov. 22 selfie of the couple. "…that's what love is."
Firerose later detailed Cyrus' proposal, which happened in August at their Tennessee home.
"Billy looked at me and said, 'Do you, do you wanna marry me?' And I was just like, 'Of course I do. I love you,'" she recalled. "He said, 'I love you. I wanna make this official. I wanna be with you forever.' "
The singers were "dreaming of a white Christmas" while celebrating the holidays together. To commemorate the season, the couple teamed up for a cover of "Silent Night."
While Cyrus captioned this snap "Sunsets were made for this," he and Firerose only had eyes for each other.
Firerose celebrated seven years of sobriety by saying she was "very grateful for all the blessings in my life today" in a May 23 post.
Cyrus supported his fiancee in the comments, writing, "So proud of you!!!!"
Despite reports of tension with his children following his divorce, Cyrus posted a photo with Firerose and his daughter Noah Cyrus after she announced her engagement to Pinkus.
As for how Miley Cyrus feels about her father's romance with Firerose, a source close to the "Wrecking Ball" singer previously told E! News, "The divorce between her parents have put a strain on her relationship with her dad and it's been hard to connect with him in the last year. She hopes they can eventually work on their relationship."
The insider added that while Miley "doesn't have a relationship" with Firerose, "she, of course, hopes [Billy Ray] is happy."
The engaged couple teamed up with songwriter Diane Warren for the romantic ballad "Plans," which Cyrus described as "the story of our lives" on Instagram.
The tune finds Cyrus and Firerose singing "Have you got plans for forever?" together in the chorus, with the music video featuring the pair in wedding attire.
The crooning couple made their official red carpet debut at the 16th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors on Aug. 23, in Nashville. After posing for photos, Cyrus and Firerose took the stage together to perform with Travis Denning during the show.